The Future of Cities

Was halten Sie vom Tod der Wilma Montesi?(de)

The life and death of the fictional star Wilma Montesi is reported in the form of a staged newsreel. Excerpts from films of various genres and eras are juxtaposed with "documentary material" about the star's public and private life. By stringing together clichés and cinematic quotations, a certain reporting and narrative style about the glamor and misery of show business is presented in a critical and ironic, but at the same time entertaining way.

Top Gear: Cars with Soul(en)

Some cars have a million horsepower, others have twinkly lights and big shiny wheels. But a rare few have something else; soul. It's found in funny places. In the crack of a rusty sill. Down the back of a torn seat next to an old Smartie. And if you're really lucky, it's found in a screaming V12 or perched on a ludicrous wing, or in the rooftop hinge of a gullwing door. These are the cars that make us happy, mad, insane and inevitably very poor. And no matter how much sense is drilled into our daft little heads, we'll continue to love then. So put your feet up, play this DVD and enjoy some of our favourites. It's a celebration of soul.

D'où viennent les faux cheveux(en)

On a market day in Kernascleden, two Breton women exchange their hair for a few coins. The hair becomes hairpieces. Last scene, an elegant Parisian removes her hat and exposes her generous wig skillfully coiffed.

Pulmonary Hydatid Cyst Operation(es)

Also known as The Operation of Dr. Alejandro Posadas. Filmed with early orthochromatic film in the Hospital de Clínicas de la Ciudad in Buenos Aires.

John Was Trying to Contact Aliens(en)

John Shepherd spent 30 years trying to contact extraterrestrials by broadcasting music millions of miles into space. After giving up the search, he makes a different connection here on earth.

The Shawl(en)

After years of long distance, a pair of big and beautiful boyfriends celebrate their reunion at a Stevie Nicks concert, where they share a brush with magic.

The Starr Sisters(en)

Patte and Randa Starr are fun specialists. After growing up in an abusive household set above their father's candy store, they spent their lives fighting to find joy and freedom. Now in their 70s, these sisters do exactly as they please: they live together near the beach, they always have a movie on, and the candy drawer is fully stocked.

Novena(en)

In 2012, Stephen Vaughan and Kay Ferreter are invited to address the congregation at St. Joseph's Redemptorists Church in Dundalk, Ireland for the Solemn Novena Festival. In a powerful speech, the pair describe their experiences being gay and lesbian in Ireland, feeling excluded by Catholic doctrine, and the importance of a more inclusive church.

Broads(de)

The social democrats of the sixties and seventies worked on their grand plan to build a highway network in Germany that every German citizen could reach within five minutes of their home. The little film hangs around between and on the streets of this network - where the country discos, pedestrian zones, shopping centers, hospitals and roads home are behind noise barriers.

South(de)

A lonesome car. The wind is whistling. A door of an undefined building opens—is it a holiday bungalow, a shed or a ruin? A woman is standing at the window. The heat of an idle day of holiday, perhaps. The South, a place of longing.

Bukit Orang Salah(en)

At various points in its history, tiny St. John's Island was where Singapore's colonial founder Sir Stamford Raffles docked his ship upon arrival, a quarantine centre for immigrants and pilgrims returning from Mecca, a penal colony for political detainees and secret society leaders, and a sleepy holiday resort. Unlike its neighbouring islands, however, St. John's was never fully developed. It occupies an in-between space, the vestiges of its history scattered around the land. Its indeterminacy stands in sharp contrast to Singapore, where land use is meticulously planned to fulfil economic and social functions. In this film, St. John's Island - otherwise known as 'Bukit Orang Salah', a nickname coined by the people who were quarantined there - becomes a site of and for reflection, prompting questions about our history, heritage and identity.

How to Make a Sandwich(en)

Based on the popular phone service, "How To Make a Sandwich" is a short film directed by Drake Sanderson that depicts the rise of media star, Peter Willard, and his acclaimed sandwich-making skills. From breads to meats to condiments, follow Peter as he teaches you how to make the perfect sandwich!

Displaced(sq)

After Kosovo's independence the first internationally recognized sports federation was the one of Table Tennis. Two local Ping-Pong enthusiasts see this as a great opportunity and start self-financing the training sessions for young players.

The Elevator Manager of the Empire State Building(en)

Sometimes it takes a loyal and dedicated man to manage an elevator.

Le Théâtre National Populaire(fr)

The T.N.P., the Théâtre National Populaire, an important experimental theater directed by Jean Vilar. Franju combines sequences from theatrical performances with documentary images, creating links and confrontations between theater and the real world.

The Beginner's Guide to Spinning in Loops(en)

From June 2021 to June 2022, Justin "Jastun" Bland records whatever that is in front of him. He presents an abstract montage of collected videos varying from onscreen recordings to filming special, intimate & mundane in-real-life moments. This short captures our daily routines in life and how we choose to spontaneously record them.

Alice Guy's Dream(fr)

This is a short film about Alice Guy-Blaché, the first female director of fiction in cinema history. Alice Guy was Léon Gaumont's secretary at the beginning of the last century and she was the first woman to ever direct actors in front of the camera. In 1895, the Lumière brothers introduced to the world the "Cinématographe", the first camera. Léon Gaumont decided to sell this revolutionary new device. Fascinated, Alice asked her boss for permission to use the camera to make her own films. Mr. Gaumont agreed only under the condition that she “would be able to keep up with her mail.” This short film is a poetic reverie that Alice Guy might have had in her time if only society at the time hadn't presented her with so many challenges.

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat(fr)

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

Familiar Tale(es)

The memory lives on in Yukio Saeki's memory. At 83 years old, he still hears the echo of the sea in Japan, near Hiroshima, and the atomic bomb falling from the sky.

Land Without Bread(es)

An exploration —manipulated and staged— of life in Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura, Spain, as it was in 1932. Insalubrity, misery and lack of opportunities provoke the emigration of young people and the solitude of those who remain in the desolation of one of the poorest and least developed Spanish regions at that time.

Canvas of My Life(en)

Jason Momoa's story of fatherhood, craftsmanship, and the legacy he'll leave behind.

Six Hours: Surviving Typhoon Yolanda(en)

In the middle of a broadcast about Typhoon Yolanda's initial impact, reporter Jiggy Manicad was faced with the reality that he no longer had communication with his station. They were, for all intents and purposes, stranded in Tacloban. With little option, and his crew started the six hour walk to Alto, where the closest broadcast antenna was to be found. Letting the world know what was happening to was a priority, but they were driven by the need to let their families and friends know they were all still alive. Along the way, they encountered residents and victims of the massive typhoon, and with each step it became increasingly clear just how devastating this storm was. This was a storm that was going to change lives.

Thanks Einstein(ta)

A wanderer, captivated by the beauty of the world, carries a unique and terrifying curse: every illness he sees transfers to him. To escape this fate, he makes the ultimate sacrifice, relinquishing his eyesight—the very sense that connects him to what he loves most, at this point he happens to meet someone which shapes this short film.

The Gaucho(en)

A girl is saved by a miracle after she falls from a cliff in the Argentine Andes, and is blessed with healing powers. A shrine is built on the site, and a whole city grows around it, rich with gold from the grateful worshipers. Ruiz, an evil and sadistic general, captures the city, confiscates the gold, and closes the shrine. But the Gaucho, the charismatic leader of a band of outlaws, comes to the rescue.

Sobaka(en)

The thrilling story of a lonely Russian immigrant trying to find the "American dream" in present day Los Angeles. To provide care for his dying sister he works as an assistant to a mysterious and dangerous man, but his desire to achieve something more takes him down a dark and risky path. When a seductive call girl enters his life his world is thrown upside down and the choices he makes may have deadly consequences.

Finding Preet(en)

Thirty-four divorced and INDIAN! Priti is a 34 year old Indian American physician and restaurant owner searching for preet (a hindi word for love). Her traditional Indian parents find her numerous potential husbands from "Indian Internet Matrimonial" sites and her over zealous girlfriends persuade her to join a ten thousand dollar dating service. She goes to extremes to find love when it just may be where she least expects it... Finding Preet is a romantic comedy based on the experiences of writer, Priti Chowdhury.

The Wrong Mr. Johnson(cs)

To raise cash to spring thuggish b.f. Vaclav from prison, timid 20-something Veronika agrees to cover for prostie pal Lucy but picks up the wrong guy good-natured jazz drummer Jim Johnson at the airport. As they struggle with language issues and growing attraction, the “other” Jim Johnson, an overbearing sex tourist, makes whoopee with groupie Sonya and call girl Apollonia. Couples and newly sprung Vaclav eventually square off in the jazz club.

Annie Laurie(en)

In late 18th century Scotland, Annie Laurie and William Douglas love each other, but their clans are on opposite sides of the country's civil war. Their love is made immortal through the title song of this film.

Au Cigogne!(nl)

A Dutch family on their last full day of their camping holiday in France. On the moment that nobody wants to join father Aad on the traditional hiking tour, everybody experiences their own adventure.

István, a király - Csíksomlyó(hu)

The Very Best of Era(es)

Just Peck(en)

At 104 pounds dripping wet, baby-faced sophomore Michael Peck (age 15) is not exactly the coolest guy at American High. Peck’s teachers make him feel like an idiot, his classmates make him feel like a geek and his home life is just as bad, with parents who schedule family time in their planners and require him to sign contracts with them about his extra-curricular activities.

Chain Mail(en)

A usual chain mail is forwarded to a group of people. Some pass it while others ignore. One dies and is followed by series of sudden and unexplainable deaths of others. Soon after, a revelation begins to unfold, the chain mail is cursed and so she has to find the origin and mystery behind to stop the misfortunes it may cause to anyone who fails to pass it before another life perish again. Sandra also suspects Anne is behind the tragic incidents that happened to their friends. Will she break the curse before it's too late or will she become one of the victims?

Best of Anne Roumanoff : On ne nous dit pas tout(fr)